Power reverse mechanism



March 29, 1938. w. S. BRQWN .PowER REVERSE MECHANISM Filed Jan. 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 29,1938. I w. 5. BROWN 2,112,760

POWER REVERSE MECHANISM Filed Jan. 25, 1936 7/ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mai. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,112,160 rowan nnvsnsn MECHANISM William S. Brown, Knoxville, Tenn.

Application lanuary 25, 1936, Serial No. 60,860 4 Claims. (01. 121-41) This invention relates to an improvement in power reverse mechanism, particularly for steam locomotives, and is an improvement on the power reverse mechanism set forth in my Patent No.

1,735,727, granted November 12, 1929.

The object of this invention is to simplify the mechanism used to operate the locomotive reverse gearing, to improve the construction and operation of the power device, and to simplify and improve the valve for controlling the supply of steam to the power device.

In my former patent, the casing structure required special guides for the movable block which was connected with the locomotive reverse gearing, but these guides are -.unnecessary according to my present invention inasmuch as the guide is mounted directly upon the power screw and the latter is connected directly with the rotor of the power device, with provision for adjustment to take up the play between the parts, the rotor being splined to the end of the screw, which latter projects through the rotor and is capable of being turned manually in case of emergency or for failure of the device to operate. My present invention utilizes a rotary valve for controlling the admission of steam'to the power device which eliminates the use of packing rings, and packing of the valve, greatly reduces leakage of steam, and improves the efllciencg and control of the valvein many respects.

A preferred embodiment of my present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichf':

Fig. i fis a side elevation of the power reverse 35 mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the main portion of the mechanism and power device, enlarged with respect to Fig, 1. V

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof, partly in 40 section.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the valve mechanism, removed.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the control valve,

removed from its casing. v

45 Fig. 6 is a plan view of the screw nut block.

Fig; 7 is a top plan. view of the operating yoke. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the main portion of the structure comprises a semi-cylindrical casing i adapted to; be secured to a side of the 50 locomotive as a support for the reverse mechanism. The casing i has an integral housing 2 at one end thereof, which is a part of the power device to be described hereinafter, while the opposite end of the casing I has diametrically 5 opposite lugs 3, towhich are secured bolts 4.

for fastening, an upstanding guide 5, the opposite ends of which fit over the bolts 4 and arevpermanently secured thereby.

A worm or screw 6 extends longitudinally in' the casing I and has its opposite ends jpurnaled at I and 8 respectively in the housing 2 and the guide 5. A nut block! is internally threaded and rides upon the screw 5. As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the nut. block 9 has oppositely projecting trunnions i0, upon which are pivoted opposite 10 sides of a bell crank yoke II, which straddles theguide 5 in embracing relation and free there of, as shown in Fig. 1, and the outer end of the yoke II is secured to a connecting rod l2, which in turn is pivoted to the free. end of lever I3, 15 which is attached tothe usual locomotive reverse gearing for operating the same.

One of the sides of the bell crank yoke H has a downwardly projecting arm ll to which one end of a link I5 is pivoted. The opposite end of 20 the link i5 is pivoted as at It to the lower end of a follow-up lever H. The upper end of the lever I1 is pivoted at l8 to one end of a connecting link IS, the opposite end of which is pivotally secured to the usual reverse hand lever 20 provided with a quadrant 2| for regulating the setting thereof.

The housing 2 encloses a steam chamber 22 provided with aface plate 23 and within the housing is mounted a rotor 24 splined to the end of the screw 5, as at 25, to rotate the screw. The extreme end of the screw is squared as at 26, and projects through the face plate 23 to receive a crank for manual setting of the reverse gear in case of emergency or for failure of the reverse mechanism to operate satisfactorily. 1

The periphery of the rotor 24 is spaced slightly from the surrounding walls of the chamber 22 and has the usual pockets 21 therein adapted t9 40 receive'steam for rotation of the rotor 2| by the power of steam acting on the rotor in the manner of the usual steam turbine. The bottom of the housing 2 is provided with a'steam outlet 28, while the top portion of the housing is provided with inlet ports 29 and SI, which communicate with opposite sides of the chamber 22 through passageways II and 22, respectively, as shown in Fig. 3. in order to deliver steam to a one 'side or the other of the chamber 22,- and thus operate the rotor in either direction.

Mounted upon the housing 2 is a valve casin 33, within which a valve 24 operates. The valve 34 is a rotary valve and is enclosed within a bushing 35, as shown in Fig. 4. The casing s" steam inlet ports connected with an inlet pipe II, and with registered ports 31 and 38, which are in open communication with the ports 20 and I! in the housing 2.

The valve 34 is shown disassembled in Fig. 5, which illustrates a notch or passageway 34 adapted to register with the steam inlet ports, and on opposite sides of the rotary valve 34 are exhaust notches or passageways 40 and 4|, both of which are in open communication with the passageway 39. The passageways 40 and 4| are adapted to be brought into registry, respectively, with the ports 31, 29, and it, 30 in order to admit steam intoone side or the other of the chamber 22, and thereby operate the rotor 24 in one direction or the other, according to the direction of steam admission, for rotating the screw 6 T The rotary valve 34 has a valve stem 42, which is separate from the valve, but has an interfltting connection 43 therewith for turning the valve. A valve stem guide 44 is securedto one side of the valve casing 33, and the valve stem 42 projects through the end of the guide 44 and has a crank arm 45 fixed thereon to turn the valve stem to rotate the valve 34. The free end of the crank 'arm 45 is pivoted at 46 to an intermediate portion of lever II, which swings the crank arm. A lug4l is fixed to the inner side of the crank arm 45 in position to engage stops 44 mounted on opposite sides of the guide 44, for limiting the movement of the crank arm' 45 in opposite directions, and thereby limit the turning movement of the valve to positions which will bring the perspective ports and passageways into proper registry.

The operation of this power reverse mechanism will be obvious from the foregoing description taken in connection with my prior patent. If the locomotive engineer wishes to run the engine forward, the lever is set forward (to the right in Fig. 1), which will move the link I! backward, or to the left, and this in turn will swing the lever I I about the pivot 10, which will move the pivot 46 and crank arm 45 to theleft to rotate the valve 34. This movement of the valve will establish communication between the steam inlet pipe 36 and the passageway II through valve passageways 39 and 4| and through ports 31 and 29,

, which supply of steam will act to turn the rotor 24 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, and thereby rotate the screw 6.. This motion of the screw causes the nut block 9 to be moved forward, to the right in Fig. 2, which also pushes forward on the bell crank y'oke I l and link I! to swing the lever II to the right, thereby setting the locomotive gearing forforward movement of the locomotive when the steam throttle is opened. s

As the nut block 9 is moved to the right, this pulls forward on the lower end of the lever II, swinging said lever about the pivot l8, and thereby restoring the crank arm 4| to a central position, which likewise turns the valve 34 to a position which cuts of! communication from the steam inlet pipe I. to the power device, and thus stops rotation of, the screw 6 after a predetermined degree of movement, depending upon the extent of initial movement of the lever 20.

It' is obvious that the opposite setting of the lever 20 will shift the parts in the opposite direction to supply steam through the passageway 32 to the opposite side of the rotor 24, and thereby return the mechanism to a neutral position or for reverse movement of the locomotive when the throttle is opened.- Any setting of the lever 14. other than central, causes a movement of the nut block 9 a predetermined distance, according to degree of movement of the lever 20.

When the crank arm 46 is restored to a central position, the passageways 44 and 4| are out of registry with the ports 31, 29, and I4, so that steam is not admitted to either side of the chamber 22,and the rotor 24 remains stationary until the lever 21i is moved in one direction or the other.

- The valve is of simple form and requires no packing inasmuch as it is fitted to the bushing and the casing. This operating mechanism for the reverse gearing is non-'creepable, but may be, 1 simply operated whenever the engine is under steam. There is no danger of the engine moving in the opposite direction from that set by the remechanism to another position. When the engine is not under steam, the reverse gearing may be set manually, as explainedabove.

I claim: 1. In power reverse mechanism, the combination of a frame structure having a guide at an end portion thereoffa worm having opposite end porstructure a rigid yoke pivoted to opposite sides of said nut and embracing the guide and adapted to be connected at one end portion with locomotive reverse gearing, and a link connecting the other end portion of said'yoke with the follow-up lever.

--verse mechanism or of shifting of the reverse 2. In power reverse the combina-- tion of a frame structure having a guide at an end portion thereof, a worm having opposite end portions journaled in said frame structure and guide respectively, power means for rotating the worm and having a control valve and a follow-up lever, a nut threaded on the worm and supported frame structure, a rigid yoke pivoted to opposite sides of said nut and embracing the guide and adapted to be connected at one end portion with locomotive reverse gearing, said yoke having an arm projecting laterally from the extreme opposite end of said yoke, and a link connecting said arm with the follow-up lever.

3. In power reverse gearing, the combination 0 a semi-cylindrical casing having a guide extending approximately diametrically across an end thereof, a worm having opposite end portions journaled in said frame structure and guide respectively, power means for rotating the worm, a rotatable valve for controlling the power means and having a laterally offset crank pin,a follow-up lever pivotally supported intermediate its ends on said crank-pin, a mit threaded .on the worm and supported and guided solely thereby independently of the casing, a rigid yoke pivoted to opposite end of the follow-up lever, the opposite end of said follow-up lever being adapted to be connected with a hand reverse lever.

4. In power reverse mechanism, the combination of a casing having an integral housing at one end thereof, a guide extending transversely 75 of said casing at the opposite end thereof, power means including a. rotor in the housing and a 'control valve having a follow-up lever, a. single power screw member journaled in the casing and guide and having an end extending through the housing with a. splined connection with the rotor and with the extreme end thereof externally of the housing squared to receive a crank, a nut thread locomotive reverse gearing, and a link connecting the follow-up lever with said yoke.

, WILLIAM S. BROWN. 

